


The Gospel Of The Fourth Estate

by DigitalThespian



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Coffee Dad Sakura Sojiro, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Good Sister Ohya Ichiko, Journalism, Minor Canonical Character(s), Not Canon Compliant, Romance, Sakura Sojiro Adopts Persona 5 Protagonist, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:41:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29893035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DigitalThespian/pseuds/DigitalThespian
Summary: Akira actually talks to the Newspaper Club President, and before you know it, she's become an integral part of his life. She doesn't know exactly what's going on, but that doesn't mean she isn't going to fight in her own way.Chihiro Ohya is on the case!
Relationships: Kurusu Akira/Newspaper Club Member
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [My Personality's Like an Onion, It's Got Layers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15995453) by [MagicalMilly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicalMilly/pseuds/MagicalMilly). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah; have another weird sorta crackfic that my brain spit out. I got the names for Newspaper Club Girl and Green Pencil Case Boy from MagicalMilly's awesome fic! I hope you enjoy my attempt at making Ohya more than a cardboard cutout. There's so much potential, but I feel like the game doesn't cash in on that.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

“I heard he’s done all sorts of stuff; drugs, alcohol, smoking, theft, blackmail… you name it. He’s supposedly totally vicious; nothing like you.”

Akira raised a brow, expression neutral. “You’re right, I _am_ nothing like that; glad you can tell at a glance. I see you’re good at your job.”

The girl’s eyes widened. “… _you’re_ the transfer student…?” She turned bright red. “I am _so_ sorry.”

“Why? All you said is that I’m not all the things they say I am.” A hint of a smirk appeared on his face. “But if you’re really that broken up about it you can write an article saying so,” he teased.

“I’d get _crucified_ , are you _nuts_?” she blurted.

Akira threw his head back and laughed. “Yeah, probably.” He held out a hand. “Akira Kurusu.”

She shook it. “Chihiro Ohya. Charmed.” She regarded him thoughtfully for a moment. “…I do want to hear your story though.”

“I’m flattered,” he shot her a wink, “do I need to dress up, or is this an ‘angrily ranting in a Big Bang Burger’ kind of outing?”

She giggled. “Well, _I’m_ certainly not going to complain if you take me somewhere nice; as long as _you’re_ paying.”

* * *

“So, what’s your name, kid?”

“Akira Kurusu.”

Ichiko blinked. “You go to Shujin, right?”

Akira regarded her carefully. “I might.”

“I saw you outside Madarame’s shack that one time, remember?” she pointed out, not wanting to tip her hand just yet.

“Right; yeah, I go to Shujin. Why?”

“Just curious. So, who’s your source? Got an insider?” Ichiko grinned. “Ooh, maybe you’ve got connections with the school paper—schools still have those nowadays, right? Or is it all digital now?”

“Yes; it exists, but it’s all online.” Akira laughed. “And I do know someone in the paper, but that’s not where my info comes from. I actually know the guy who’s the admin of the Phantom Aficionado Website.”

 _Didn’t mention gender… interesting. Either doesn’t want to admit he knows her, or doesn’t want to get her tangled up in this,_ Ichiko thought. She took a drink. “So; what do you want to know?”

“Who controls the mob in Shibuya?”

Ichiko recoiled slightly in surprise. “Why do you wanna know _that_?”

He shrugged. “I _could_ tell you, but I’m not going to.”

She blinked, then let out a laugh. “You know, I respect that you’re honest about it. I don’t know anything, but I’ll tell you what; I’ll look into it.”

* * *

Ichiko paled as she opened yet another can of worms, only to slam it shut again before any of them could wriggle out and mess up her entire life. She pulled out her phone.

IchiNO: Hey, just thought you should know; I ran into your boyfriend at Crossroads, he was looking for information, and I found it, but… it’s seriously scary shit. I probed lightly, and he avoided mentioning whether the person he knew in the paper was a boy or girl; I’m pretty sure he’s involved in some really sketchy stuff and is trying to keep you from getting tangled up in it. As much as I hate to say this… you might wanna break things off. Not because he’s a bad kid, but just because it probably isn’t safe.

ChiHero: What info does he want? When did he ask? Why didn’t you mention you’d met my boyfriend!? I’d ask if he mentioned me, but obviously not; does he know you’re my sister?

IchiNO: I’m not saying, trust me, you don’t want to know; three days ago; I wanted to snoop a bit to see if he was sneaking around behind your back, Crossroads **is** in Shinjuku; and I don’t think so, I acted like I didn’t know if there was a school paper these days and he seemed to buy it.

IchiNO: And don’t think I didn’t notice you dodged the bit about splitting up.

ChiHero: It’s not happening.

IchiNO: **Damn** ; you **never** take the strongarm route, what gives?

ChiHero: To quote the man himself: “I **could** tell you, but I’m not going to.”

IchiNO: That’s a common statement, then, huh? I got that one too when I asked why he wanted to know what he was asking about. And Chihiro, I respect your autonomy, you know that, but I also don’t want you to wind up **dead**.

ChiHero: Holy shit it’s **that bad?!**

IchiNO: Yeah. Just… please be careful, okay? Are you sure you won’t tell me why you refused like that?

ChiHero: I’m positive. I’m sorry, sis. It’s not personal, I promise. I **will** give you a secondary reason; I’m getting somewhere with what happened behind the scenes of the Kamoshida case, and he was involved, plus he’s friends with other victims, so being “in” with that crowd is an information **gold mine**. It’s not why I’m dating him, that’s because I **want** to, but dating him also has some serious practical benefits.

ChiHero: …plus he spoils me sometimes. And respects my work. I just really like him, he’s a great guy.

IchiNO: I believe you, I never contested that part; I just wanted you to have all the information.

ChiHero: Thanks, sis.

* * *

Ichiko swung her head around lazily when Akira walked in. “Heeeyyy! Look who it is!”

Akira laughed nervously. “Yep, it’s… me, alright.” He sat down. “Did you figure out what I asked you about?”

Ichiko sobered slightly—as much as she could without _literally_ sobering—giving him a serious look. “Look, we made a deal, so I’ll tell you, but you really should just walk away, whatever you’re involved in. This guy is _scary_.”

“What’s his name?”

Ichiko sighed. “Junya Kaneshiro. If you make one wrong move, your life is over, and maybe even the people close to you.”

Akira nodded grimly. “Gotcha. I’ll be careful.”

“Seriously, kid.” Ichiko took another drink. “Another thing… I lied about the paper; Chihiro is my little sister.”

Akira stiffened almost imperceptibly. “Is that right?”

“I don’t know what you two are up to, but I’ll be honest, I told her to jump ship, and she refused. I don’t think you’re a bad kid; if Chihiro likes you I trust you well enough, she’d sniff out any bullshit you tried to feed her. But Kaneshiro… I don’t want her getting hurt.”

“Do you want me not to tell her the name?”

Ichiko’s brows went up. “She knows why you wanted it?”

He nodded, smiling crookedly. “You said it yourself; lying to her is basically useless.”

“I… really don’t want her involved. I’ll at least tell her I told you to keep it to yourself, so she doesn’t take it personally.”

* * *

ChiHero: You told him not to tell me?!

IchiNO: I don’t want you involved! I’m **terrified** of whatever shit he’s getting into, and I’m investigating an actual political-backroom **murder**!

ChiHero: Just tell me, because I **will** find out, one way or another, even if I have to go looking myself.

IchiNO: Jesus, Chihiro, you’re killin’ me here; I’m not kidding, I **swear** I’m not! I really, **really** don’t want you involved, and the best way to do that is to make sure you don’t know!

ChiHero: Counterpoint: The best way is to tell me exactly what I need to be avoiding.

IchiNO: Alright; fine. You… have a point, there, as much as I don’t like it. He wanted to know who runs the Shibuya underworld; the mob specifically.

ChiHero: Yeah, I knew that much already; he asked you for the **name**.

IchiNO: You know it’s about the mob and you **still** want to know?!?!?!

ChiHero: Easy on the emphatic punctuation there, sis. And yes, I do, because I also know why **he** wanted to know, and I want to stay upwind of it.

IchiNO: Junya Kaneshiro. Just… please stay out of it, okay…?

ChiHero: I promise I’ll stay out of it; on my lucky lanyard.

IchiNO: Okay; I believe you. That’s a pretty serious promise. Thanks, Chihiro.

ChiHero: You got it. :)

* * *

Chihiro tapped the butt end of her pen against her lips a few times, lost in thought. “—iro? Chihiii-ro,” a voice called.

She started, looking up to see her friend Genki. “Oh—hey, what’s up?”

“You look like you’re trying to solve a murder; what’s on your mind?”

“A city-wide extortion ring in Shibuya run by a member of the Yakuza,” she said absently.

Genki stared. “Holy shit, you’ve really gotten ambitious, huh?”

She shook her head to clear it. “Sorry—no, I’m just thinking about it, not investigating it. I know it exists, and that sticking my nose in is a good way to get kidnapped or coerced into sex slavery or any number of other horrifying things. I’m ambitious, not _stupid_.”

Genki let out a sigh. “…This is about Akira-kun, isn’t it.”

She looked up with a start. “How did you…?”

“Do you know?” Genki said cryptically.

“…know what?” Chihiro replied slowly.

“I sit behind him in class; he has a cat in his desk. And he talks to it. One time I saw Takamaki-san talking to it, too; really weird.”

“I mean, sure, but why ask if I know that…?”

“I wasn’t, I was checking if that was surprising to you, which it doesn’t seem to be. Does the name Yusuke mean anything to you?”

“Huh? Yusuke? Like, Yusuke _Kitagawa_?”

Genki nodded. “Alright, you definitely know. There’s no reason for you to have picked Kitagawa rather than Miyamoto if you didn’t.”

“Know what?” Chihiro reiterated, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“He makes lockpicks directly in front of me in class, Chihiro; _I know_. And I know you do too, so we can drop the pretense, here.”

She sagged slightly. “Alright, yeah, you definitely know. Yeah, that’s what this is about. I just… worry about him. Does he know you know?”

Genki nodded. “Yeah, he gauged my support before doing it the first time, and I told him I’d keep an eye out here and there.”

“God, my sister would flip if she found out I was dating the leader of the Phantom Thieves… he’s even feeding her info in exchange for good PR and tracking stuff down for him. She has no idea.”

“He’s really something else, huh?”

Chihiro nodded, smiling faintly. “Yeah… he really is.”

“I’ve been curious, but I never asked before since I wasn’t sure if you knew, but… what made you interested in him?”

“I don’t know, he sorta hinted he’d take me to dinner when I asked to hear his story, and jokingly asked if he needed to dress up with this cocky smirk on his face. I answered almost without thinking, and told him I wasn’t gonna complain if he took me somewhere nice, as long as he was buying; and the rest is history. It was a blast; it was pretty obvious to me that even if it wasn’t an _actual_ date, it was still more fun than any other dates I’d been on before.” She blushed slightly. “So at the end I asked where he was taking me next time.”

Genki whistled. “Damn, that’s gutsy.”

“It seems he likes that about me, though, which is good news for me.”

* * *

“Chihiro Ohya?”

She halted, recognizing the voice behind her. She answered without turning around. “Yes?”

“You spend an awful lot of time with Akira Kurusu; mind telling me what that’s about?”

“I’m in the newspaper club, and he’s a trouble magnet, or so it seems. How could I not?”

“Is that so? Well, it seemed to me that you had taken a… shall we say, _amorous_ interest in him. But I suppose I was mistaken.”

The end of the sentence was bitten off rather sharply, and Chihiro furrowed her brow. She finally turned around. “…what the hell is this _really_ about, Nijima-senpai? Let’s stop beating around the bush.”

“I think you’re involved with him, and I want to know why, and to what extent.”

“ _Why_?” Chihiro shook her head, confused. “What could you possibly do with that information? And besides, shouldn’t you be worrying about the Shibuya situation?”

“Hm; I don’t recall mentioning that, I wonder how—”

Chihiro stalked closer angrily. “Cut the smug, condescending shit, _Nijima_. _I_ am a journalist, and so is my _sister_. I know things; _get used to it_.”

Makoto took a half step back, shocked. “Wha—I-I’m… I’m sorry. You’re right, that was disrespectful. I apologize. I’m not abandoning my question, though. I know you of all people can understand why; I want to know what’s going on.”

“And I’m not saying a damn thing one way or another, because this school has enough rumors; I will _not_ be responsible for another, especially about him. I wrote a story on the Kamoshida incident, do you have any idea how many rumors about him I had to sift through? More than half the rumors that _month_ were about him!” Chihiro growled. “I believe in finding and disseminating the _truth_ , through the _proper channels_ ; were you asking about the situation in Shibuya, or hell, even the Phantom Thieves, since you seem to have been investigating them recently, too, that would be one thing. But since this has nothing to do with your duties as student council president, it’s none of your damn business, which makes it pointless at best, and rumormongering at worst.”

Makoto stuttered a moment, unsure how to deal with being so thoroughly rebuked, and in a way that precluded a comeback. “I-I-I—well—”

“…Is everything alright here?” Akira walked around the corner, sizing up the confrontation. “Chihiro-chan, you… well, frankly, you look pissed. Did something happen?”

Makoto turned, opening her mouth to speak, but she was beaten to it by Chihiro. “Yeah, Nijima-senpai here was asking me why I hang around you all the time, and I told her I wasn’t going to let her start any more rumors, and I got a little up in her business about it,” Chihiro said bluntly.

Akira looked at Makoto and raised a brow, and she winced. “Sorry…”

“…And _why_ didn’t you just ask me…?”

“I—” Makoto’s face turned red. “…I was concerned she was using you for information, which is a bit difficult to ask _you_ about, since it would mean you were being deceived…”

Chihiro gawked at Makoto. “ _That’s_ why!? Wait, why do you even care?!” She looked at Akira with a dangerous glint in her eye. “ _You_ know anything about that?”

He shook his head. “No, first I’ve heard of it.” He looked at Makoto. “I’d appreciate if you talk to me first, even if you think I’m having the wool pulled over my eyes. I might have information you don’t, and I’d prefer to have input before someone goes rooting around in my personal life.”

“I—I’m sorry, Akira… It won’t happen again…” Makoto said, hanging her head.

“‘ _Akira’?!_ ” Chihiro stalked over to Akira this time, stopping in front of him and crossing her arms. “ _ **Explain.**_ ”

Makoto stared at the display, shocked. “Wha—”

“She’s one of us,” Akira said simply. “It’s also why she was asking about you, I’d assume.”

Chihiro whipped her head around to stare at Makoto. “ _You?!_ But you were investigating them _last **week**!_”

Makoto spluttered. “W-Wait, she _knows?!_ ”

Akira sighed. “Yeah, she does. We’re dating, and I’m not dumb enough to try to lie to her. Plus she’s on our side anyway.”

“…that’s why you were so angry,” Makoto concluded. “I’m sorry; I hope you believe me when I say that I really did ask for his sake, not mine.”

Chihiro waved a hand. “If you’re with him, you’re trustworthy in my book. But since we’re here and talking about it…” she glared once more, just for a moment. “He’s _my_ boyfriend. Hands off.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not out to steal your boyfriend.” She paused. “Um… well, this does lead to a separate issue… I was going to ask him to _pretend_ to be my boyfriend in order to find out more about my friend _Eiko’s_ boyfriend… He’s a host, and I think he might be taking advantage of her…”

Chihiro’s notepad was already out. “What’s his name? Where’s he work? Do you know his shifts? How old is he?”

Makoto reeled at the sudden onslaught of questions. “S-Slow down!”

“Tsukasa, Peach Lounge, works nights, looks like he’s about nineteen,” Akira supplied.

“Wow, you’re just… used to that, huh?”

Akira laughed. “Yeah, she’s intense. I like it.”

Chihiro blushed slightly, continuing her information-gathering. “Does he tend to call her nicknames?”

“Princess, usually.”

“Mm,” Chihiro nodded, closing her notepad, “alright; I’ll track down some more info about him.”

“O-Oh, really…?”

“You’re with Akira’s crew. I’m happy to help; and it means I don’t have to potentially miss out on a date with him,” Chihiro said with a wink. “This is what I _do_. If you’re right, it’ll be article-worthy anyway, so it’s worth doing on its own. It’s in Shinjuku, right?”

“Y-Yeah.” Makoto nodded. “Thank you. I’m worried about her…”

“We’ll make sure nothing happens to her.” Chihiro nodded. “Now get outta here, I have the urge to smooch Akira and it’s happening whether you like it or not.”

* * *

ChiHero: Hey, so I have a lead I’d like you to follow up on, if you get a minute.

IchiNO: No promises, but shoot.

ChiHero: Student council president has a friend that’s dating a host, and she’s worried the girl might potentially be in trouble. He works in Shinjuku, which is why I’m asking you; you already know people there, and you’d worry about me getting kidnapped or whatever.

IchiNO: What’s his name? How old is he? Which club? Do we know his shifts? Does he call the girl nicknames?

ChiHero: Tsukasa; about 19 according to Akira; Peach Lounge; nights; yes, usually princess, according to the council prez.

IchiNO: Why am I not surprised Akira is involved?

ChiHero: He’s friends with the prez, Makoto-senpai. And before you ask about the given name, she actually tried interrogating me to make sure I wasn’t just using him for info; it didn’t work, but the fact that she cares makes her good in my book.

IchiNO: Jesus, that kid is friends with everyone, I swear.

ChiHero: He really is, I don’t know how he does it.

* * *

“Hey; Ichiko Ohya, I’m an investigative journalist. Have you ever heard of a guy by the name of…” Ichiko squinted at her notepad, as though she hadn’t already memorized the name. “Tsukasa?”

The man scowled. “You friends with that bastard?”

“I’m a journalist,” Ichiko said flatly. “Also if I was _friends_ with him why would I be _asking_ about him?”

The man relented, sighing. “Sorry, guy’s just a real piece of work. He’s never done anything explicitly _illegal_ , not that we can prove enough to pin him for, but he’s known for wreckin’ lives. Tricks girls into payin’ him a ton of money, selling their bodies, shit like that. He’s bad news.”

“Can I quote you on that?” Ichiko beamed. “Damn, first guy I asked and already I struck gold. Got a lead that the guy was fishy, and _this_ is what I find. Can you give me any details on how he ‘tricks girls into paying him a ton of money’?”

“Sometimes he tells ‘em that he dropped a sake bottle and needs help paying it back; once he claimed he accidentally bumped someone and they spilled something on a fancy laptop, shit like that.”

“Uh-huh… and where exactly is the Peach Lounge? Who owns it?”

“Right over there,” the man pointed, “but I got no idea who runs it.”

“Right; well, thank you so much for your time!” She turned, making her way into the club.

A handsome, well dressed guy stopped her at the door. “Hey there. Gonna need to see some ID, cutie; that or let me put a mark on your hand real quick.” He shot her a charming smile. “You know how it is, right babe?”

“Go ahead and mark my hand; I’m overage but it’s faster. I’m only here to talk to the owner, or your boss, whoever’s available.”

The man paused, then marked her hand, speaking casually. “Oh yeah? What about?”

“Can’t say; never know who might snatch a story from under you.” Ichiko shot him a playful wink. “I’m not here to cause trouble.” In her mind she added, _not for you, at least_.

“Alright; manager’s in the back, I’ll take you there. Talking to the owner’s between him and you, though.” He led her to the back, and a lean shark of a man looked up, gaze piercing into Ichiko as the doorman said, “Hey, this lovely lady says she’d like to talk; I’m headed back to the desk.”

“Thanks, Hayato.” The man stood up, walking over with an even, steady gait that set Ichiko on edge; this man was _dangerous_. “What can I do for you, miss…?”

“Ohya; I’m doing a story, and was hoping I could talk to the owner about the history and culture of the establishment.” Not _technically_ a lie, even if what she was after was actually security footage.

“Well, Miss Ohya, the owner is a busy guy; you understand, right? How do we know this is gonna be worth his time?”

“I’m damn good at what I do, and if you let me talk to him, I’ll make sure you get fantastic publicity for it.” Also not a lie; ‘Host Club Cracks Down On Sex Trafficking!’ is _spectacular_ PR.

The man nodded. “Alright… I’ll give the boss a call.” He went to what looked like an office off the back room, and she heard a muffled conversation. Finally he came back, jerking his head towards a door she hadn’t noticed before. “He’s upstairs; follow me.”

She did, steeling herself and venturing even deeper into the lion’s den. They ascended, and entered a room that looked like a sort of small office-lounge combo. A stocky man with a cigar sat forward, leaning his elbows on his desk. “So; you want to talk about the history of this place, huh?” He waved the manager away, who went back downstairs without another word. “Whaddya wanna know?”

“Let’s start with the beginning; do you know what used to be here?”

The man snorted. “Yeah; a host club. ‘cept that one was run by a bunch of dumbasses who thought it’d be a good idea to try and make a little money on the side selling customers to the Yakuza.”

“Oh, wow; so you decided to make use of the existing facilities, but with a strict no-extortion policy,” Ichiko surmised.

“Something like that, yeah. We opened a few years ago.”

“Gotcha, gotcha; hey, so about that whole no-extortion thing… I’ve got good and bad news about that.”

The man raised a brow. “Oh? You know something I don’t? I’ve been real busy, haven’t had time to keep an ear to the ground like I used to…” he muttered.

“Yeah, actually; I got a tip that one of your hosts is trafficking vulnerable high-school girls by manipulating them, telling them he ‘dropped an expensive sake bottle’ and needs help paying it back, that sort of thing. You wouldn’t by chance happen to have any accounting sheets about that sort of thing, would you? Or security footage?”

“Like _hell_ has that happened; I may be a little out of the loop, but I’d definitely hear about an expense like that, so unless the boys have been hiding ‘em from me…” He kicked off, wheeling over to a little CCTV setup. “As for footage, what time?”

“I don’t have an exact time, only that the guy works nights, and is named Tsukasa.”

The man hummed quietly. “He _is_ real popular with the customers… I can’t release a big block of tapes like that, but if you give me a time, I can give you the tape for that one section.”

“Has he been working here for a long time? This has been going on long enough for me to have it confirmed by a hawker for another club.”

“ _Shit_ , seriously? That son of a _bitch_ —” The man pulled out his phone, but Ichiko stopped him. “What?”

“If you’re about to fire him, or even chew him out, don’t; I’m indirectly in contact with a girl he’s dating now, my sister goes to her school. If you wait without letting on, he’ll probably try it again, and then we’ll have hard evidence he lied in order to get money; and _that’s_ fraud. If you fire him he loses a job; if you wait and we prove he’s lying to extort money, all the girls whose lives he’s messed up can testify and that bastard will be _through_.”

The owner grinned. “Goddamn, you’re _ruthless_. You got yourself a deal.”

* * *

IchiNO: Tell the prez to keep an eye out for Tsukasa asking for money; if/when he does, tell her to get her friend to ask **specifically** when the incident happened that he needs money for. If she can get a date, I have the owner on record as willing to provide security footage to prove he’s lying. Tsukasa is bad news, but we’ve got him dead to rights.

ChiHero: Holy shit

ChiHero: Alright, will do. Damn, you **delivered**. Not that I expected otherwise, but this is way more than I thought you’d find. I expected “yeah he’s kind of a scumbag, dump him”, not “he’s a serial extortionist”.

IchiNO: Damn right I deliver. Better yet, this is gonna meet my quota for the month, this story is gonna be **huge**. Congrats, I couldn’t have done it without you.

ChiHero: Aw, thanks. :)

* * *

Akira: Chihiro says if Eiko gets any requests for money from him, she should ask when the thing happened that he says he needs it for, preferably to the day. Don’t let on yet; you were dead on the money, the guy’s **Trouble**. Yes, a capital T and everything.

Makoto: Roger. Thanks, Akira. And tell Chihiro thanks, too; how’d she find out?

Akira: Her sister looked into it; went all super-investigative-journalist, met the owner, and if we get a specific date, the owner is happy to provide the tapes to prove the guy’s a filthy liar. Like, Tsukasa’s about to land himself in jail for fraud and sex trafficking. Probably for life.

Makoto: !!! Oh my god! I’m really glad I asked, then…

Akira: You’re a good friend, Makoto. Way to go. :)

* * *

Eiko: hey, so like

Eiko: could i maybe borrow sum money??

Eiko: i swear ill pay u back, please??????

Makoto: Money? Whatever for? Are you okay?? Did something happen??

Eiko: no no no

Eiko: im not in trouble

Eiko: but Tsukasa said he dropped a really expensive bottle of sake at work and needs help paying it back

Eiko: please? he really needs help!!

Makoto: Oh dear, that sounds serious! How long ago did it happen? If it was recent that’ll give him more time to get the money together, right?

Eiko: hang on ill ask

Makoto pumped a fist triumphantly.

Eiko: said it was his shift last tuesday but he didnt wanna ask me til he ran out of options!

Eiko: hes such a sweetie even when hes in trouble…! <3 <3 <3

Makoto: Oh, no! It’s probably urgent, then, huh? Let me see what I can do, give me a minute.

She switched threads.

Makoto: Last Tuesday. **Crush him**.

Chihiro: You’re hardcore. I respect that. And consider it done. >:)

* * *

ChiHero: Last Tuesday, he allegedly dropped an expensive bottle of sake. Say your prayers, you trafficking scumbag.

IchiNO: And so were his prayers heard by no one, because he’s a piece of shit.

ChiHero: So sayeth the Prophet, in the Gospel of the Fourth Estate.

ChiHero: Thanks, sis.

IchiNO: Thank **you** , and Makoto-chan too.

* * *

“I—I just—” Makoto rubbed Eiko’s back comfortingly. “I—I can’t believe he was _lying_ to me like that…! I thought—he made me feel _special_ , but it was all a _lie_ …?”

“I’m sorry, Eiko… for what it’s worth, you _are_ special. And maybe it sounds like cliché to say it like this, but you’re special because there’s only one Eiko; no one else can be you, no matter how hard they try.”

“Y-You really think so…?” Eiko sniffled, looking up at Makoto hopefully. “You’re—you’re not just saying that…? You think I’m special…?”

“Of course I mean it; no one else asked me about my Buchimaru pencil case, or talked to me about… well, anything, really.” Makoto laughed quietly. “But you didn’t care that I was little miss honor student, miss student council president… you just saw a girl who liked Buchimaru. And then you told me to lighten up, which I don’t think anyone has ever said to my face without meaning it as an insult, or a rebuke. You just… thought I would be better off if I did, and you said so. I appreciate that about you.”

Eiko threw her arms around Makoto. “ _Makoto…!_ Thank you, I’m so glad you’re my friend!”

Makoto started, then slowly hugged Eiko back, smiling gently. “…I’m glad I get to be your friend, too.”

* * *

Chihiro: MISSION: SUCCESS

Akira: N I C E

Chihiro: Chalk up yet another victory to Akira’s weird network of connections; I never would have heard about this otherwise, so way to go, babe.

Akira: Aw, thanks. :)

Chihiro: You stole my bashful thank you, how dare you

Akira: Isn’t imitation the sincerest form of flattery, though?

Chihiro: I’ll allow it because you’re cute. The defendant gets off on a technicality.

Akira: :D

Chihiro: STOP BEING ADORABLE

Akira: MAKE ME


	2. Chapter 2

“Chihiro? What are _you_ doing here?” Ichiko had stopped in the doorway, staring at where her sister was seated at the bar. “Did you come here alone? You know that’s dangerous!”

“I had an escort; Akira dropped me off. He’s handling some other errands right now.”

“Okay? Why come here, though? Are you guys going on a date?”

Chihiro shook her head solemnly. “No. Sorry, sis; this is an intervention.”

Ichiko stared at her for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Oh my god, that _delivery_! I actually thought you were serious!”

Chihiro’s expression didn’t change. “I _am_ serious. I know the chief is a scumbag, but you’re going to _die_ if you keep this up, sis…” Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, and she swallowed the lump in her throat.

“What?! That’s ridiculous! You can’t—”

“Can’t _what_?” Chihiro spat, tears in her eyes. “Can’t love my sister? Can’t do something, _anything_ to try and help her? I know why you drink, I _know_ , and it sucks, but you come home reeking of whiskey _every single night_!” She grit her teeth a moment before continuing, “I’m not a doctor, but I don’t need to be to know that you can’t keep this up, and _then_ where will I be?” She shook her head slightly, taking a shuddering breath. “…who will I have then…? Dad’s always gone! Sure, he loves us, and he provides for me, but he’s never _home_! I don’t hold it against him, I _know_ his job needs him to travel a lot, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’d be all _alone_!”

Ichiko wouldn’t make eye contact. “I—Chihiro—I…”

Chihiro shook her head. “I can’t lose you, sis,” she whispered. “Please… just… you don’t have to quit all at once, but please, sis… I can’t let you keep doing this to yourself.”

“I… I’ll try,” Ichiko relented.

* * *

Chihiro: Akira, can I ask a personal favor?

Akira: Uh, sure? What about?

Chihiro: You never mentioned the details, but I know you can change people if you know their names; can you change Ichiko’s boss? His name is Shinpei Honjo.

Akira: One sec

Akira: Yes, yes we can. We’re not planning on doing another run for a little bit; is it urgent?

Chihiro: Not… exactly? He’s putting a ton of pressure on her, and trying to stamp out her efforts to investigate something personal to her; he’s a big part of the reason she drinks so much.

Akira: Alright; if things take a turn, let me know, otherwise, it’ll be in the next couple of weeks. We’re, uh… on a deadline.

Chihiro: Oh? Is that a scoop I smell?

Akira: Yes, but it’s really personal to someone I can’t speak for. I try not to ask this of you, but please don’t dig too deep or read between the lines too much this time.

Chihiro: *SIGH* **Fiiine** , I won’t; anything I should be keeping my nose **out** of? I don’t want to follow what seems like an unrelated lead right into this.

Akira: Uh… pretty much the usual ‘people who exist in my periphery’ business.

Chihiro: Alright. I’ll avoid looking into any Okumura stuff. I know she’s been close with Makoto lately—which I **was** going to look into, by the way, so it’s good that I asked.

Akira: Yeah, thanks. I’ll let you know if I can tell you more.

* * *

Japan watched in horror as Kunikazu Okumura died on national television; for some specific individuals, the horror was much more pronounced.

Chihiro Ohya dialed a phone number, but there was no answer; it went to answering machine. “Akira Kurusu so help me god you better explain what the _fuck_ just happened, because you told me to stay out of it and that’s looking _real_ sketchy right about now!” she hissed. “I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt here, because you’re important to me, but this is pretty damning evidence!”

She hung up, hugging her knees to her chest. “…Akira, please, _please_ have an explanation…” she whispered.

A few hours later, she got a text.

Akira: Can’t talk now; meet tomorrow at 6? You pick the place, long as it’s mostly private. You can bring your sister if you want; if you think she has the right to know she can know.

Chihiro let out a strangled sob.

Chihiro: My place, then. Tomorrow at six. You **better** not break my heart you son of a bitch

Akira: I’ll be there, and I’ll explain everything. Promise.

…She couldn’t help but notice he _didn’t_ promise not to break her heart.

* * *

Ichiko stared in shock. “Wait, you invited him over here? Why didn’t you ask?! I never agreed to this!”

“Sis… just trust me, okay? Please?” Chihiro begged, “I _promise_ it’ll make sense, but I only have half the information too, just—he’ll explain, and you’ll understand, okay? _Please_.”

Ichiko was quiet a moment. “…alright. I trust you, Chihiro.”

Six o’clock rolled around, and there was a knock at the door. Chihiro rushed over, looking through the peephole. “It’s him,” she called, opening the door. “Akira, you—you know, no; come in, explain, _then_ I’ll chew you out.”

Ichiko was shocked by the exchange, watching the two come into the living room. He smiled weakly. “Hey. I… Do you guys mind if I get something to drink, like tea or something? This is… gonna be a hell of a talk.”

Ichiko gestured vacantly to the kitchen, and he departed with Chihiro in tow, returning a few minutes later with a steaming mug. She noted idly that it was chamomile, and she found herself growing nervous about what could possibly spook the kid who was fearlessly asking about _Kaneshiro_. Chihiro sat stiffly, clearly restraining herself. “Akira… talk to me. _Please_.”

“Alright; I guess we should start with the big stuff.” He looked at Ichiko. “I lied about my source; I’m the leader of the Phantom Thieves.”

Ichiko’s eyes widened, and she stood abruptly, eyeing him warily. “You what!? You guys killed Okumura!”

“No, we _didn’t_ ,” he said vehemently. “We were _framed_ for killing Okumura.”

Chihiro shifted. “Look, Akira, I want to believe you, but…”

He sighed. “I know. I know. That’s why I got permission to explain the whole situation; I asked you not to dig too deep because we got this one from Haru Okumura. She was going to be married off to a sleazy, rape-y scumbag of a politician’s son, and her dad was the one who set it up. That was the deadline I mentioned.”

“Wait, Chihiro, you _**knew**_!?” Ichiko was stunned. “You—how long have you known?!”

“…since before Madarame,” Chihiro admitted. “The first target was Kamoshida; finding him out was inevitable, so he just… talked to his team, and then told me.”

“That was _months_ ago! What if—what if he’s just—”

“Don’t you _dare_!” Chihiro burst out of her seat. “I don’t wanna hear it! I’ve been neck deep in rumors that say my boyfriend is a psychopath for _months_ , don’t you _dare_ tell me he’s out to get me!”

“Chihiro…” Akira said gently. “She’s just looking out for you. I’m not offended.”

“Glad to hear it; I _am_!” Chihiro continued to stare her sister down. “I’m an aspiring investigative journalist! I am _insulted_ that you think I wouldn’t notice if he was setting me up! And I’d like to point out the _first thing I did_ when the news broke about Okumura was demand he explain, and I brought him here so it would be on _our_ turf!”

Ichiko sighed, slowly sitting back down. “…I’m sorry. You’re right, Chihiro. I should have more faith in you. I just… I worry.”

Chihiro sat down as well. “Thank you.” She looked back to Akira. “That still doesn’t explain what the hell happened; I may believe you never meant _me_ any harm, but you’re still not off the hook here, buddy.”

“Everything we did was business as usual; we’ve heard rumors that there was someone else that can do the sort of thing we do, and we’re pretty much certain at this point that they went in after us and killed him to make it look like we did it. They’re the one causing the psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns, we think.”

“And why should I believe you?” Chihiro had her notepad out, and Ichiko was once again floored.

“Weren’t you just shouting me down for suspecting him?” she pointed out.

“For suspecting him of manipulating me from the start to this end; that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a lie of omission, or a recent change in motive, or a hidden vendetta, or any number of other things. I’m not interrogating him because I want to prove him guilty, I’m interrogating him to prove I _can’t_. Not to explain his innocence; to _preclude guilt_. Because I’m a goddamn journalist, and I _will_ find the truth of the matter.”

Ichiko laid a hand on her heart. “Chihiro, I am so _proud_ of you!”

“Heartfelt moments later,” Chihiro said curtly. “Akira; do you have evidence of this other person?”

He sighed. “Yes, but it’s founded on things that relate to what we do, and that I _can’t_ prove. Not without getting you way too involved.”

“You think I’m afraid of that?”

“Chihiro, this person _will_ kill you. I’m not fucking around. Your sister knows that I considered Kaneshiro an ‘acceptable risk’; Kaneshiro was a thug, and a scary motherfucker, but the person behind the shutdowns… they’re an assassin. An honest-to-god contract killer. I can’t prove that, because our source was Okumura, who’s kinda dead now. They got rid of him to make sure he didn’t compromise their operation.”

“‘They’…?” Ichiko murmured. “A conspiracy…?” She bolted upright. “Wait, mental shutdowns—that means that’s the bastard who killed Kayo!”

Akira nodded. “Yeah. You see why I don’t want to get you involved?”

“And what, it’s fine for you to be? What the hell, Akira!?” Chihiro snapped.

“I didn’t want to be, we didn’t know what we were stumbling into until it was too late!” he retorted. “The thing with Medjed was a setup to make us popular so they could gut us; they rigged the poll on the Phan-Site too to bait us into going after Okumura. It wasn’t the real Medjed.”

“And how do you know that?”

“Because the real Medjed is on my team.”

The sisters were stunned. “I’m… sorry? Aren’t they a huge faceless organization?”

“Not originally; it was originally just one person. They took care of the problem for us. But we found evidence of that same group messing with the Phan-Site, and that’s when we realized we’ve been playing into their hands for the last few _months_. I’m pretty sure I know who the killer is, but I can’t say. We have a plan, but… it’s really delicate. I’m serious. I don’t just want you to stay uninvolved for _your_ safety, it’s also for _ours_ ; if they figure out we know, we’re _dead_. Please, Chihiro,” he begged, “I want to tell you everything, and I will, once we get this handled; but until then, I _can’t_.”

“Dammit, Akira, I’m not _helpless_!” Chihiro screamed, throwing her notepad on the floor. “Why can’t you see that?! You say you respect me, but now that the chips are down I’m a _liability_!?”

“…Do you _really_ want to know how we operate?” Akira said quietly. “You can’t un-know this.”

“You don’t know how they work?”

“I never told her in case she got interrogated; if she doesn’t know she can’t accidentally give us away, and before you say it’s easier to not give stuff away if you know what not to say, no, not in this case. I’ll show you, because I _need_ you to believe that I trust you. My entire team was against it, but I insisted that I tell you if it came to this, because it’s better than you not knowing and getting us killed because you don’t understand. It’s easier to avoid giving away the method if you don’t know it, but if you don’t know the method you don’t know the danger. I think the danger is worse than the risk.”

“Tell me.” Chihiro nodded once. “You’re right, I have to know. I have to _know_ that you’re not a murderer.”

Ichiko looked between them. “Chihiro, if this is that dangerous—”

“If this is what he says it is, it’s the biggest lead on Kayo yet.” Ichiko didn’t respond for a while, then finally nodded slightly. Chihiro looked at Akira. “Tell us.”

“I have to show you, you’ll never believe me otherwise.” He stood. “Come on; we have to go to the station.”

“What? _Why_?”

“I—I don’t know what I can say other than ‘trust me’. You can lead me by the collar if you think I’m going to bolt or whatever, but just… trust me.”

Chihiro stood wordlessly, retrieving her notepad. “Then let’s go.”

* * *

They arrived at the station, and Akira turned to them. “Alright.” He sighed. “Last chance. Once we do this…”

“I’m _sure_ , Akira,” Chihiro said sharply.

He held up his hands. “Alright,” he relented. He took out his phone, tapping the Nav to enter Mementos.

Both sisters flinched, clutching their heads as they shifted into the Metaverse. “Ow, what the hell did—what the fuck is with your clothes?!” Ichiko blurted. “How did you do that?!”

“I brought you to Mementos; it’s the world of the collective unconscious. From here, we can steal the distorted desires of people who aren’t messed up enough to have a Palace; those are our big jobs, like Kaneshiro, or Kamoshida. Madarame and Okumura too.”

“ _Bullshit_ ,” Chihiro spat.

“Why do you think I brought you here? I knew you’d never believe me otherwise. Come on.” He waved for them to follow, and they descended into Mementos.

“What the fuck is this place…? It’s creepy as hell,” Ichiko muttered.

“You get used to it.” He called out once they reached the first platform. “Mona, I need a lift.”

“I’m telling you this is a stupid idea, Joker!” Morgana scampered out from a pillar. “And before you say anything, I am _not_ a monster cat! I just look like this; I’m a human, we’re working on getting me back to normal.”

“But since he looks like a cat, he can turn into a bus, because of Totoro.” The Monabus appeared on the tracks. “Hop in.”

The sisters stared in shock. “I can’t believe this,” Chihiro said faintly.

“This is only the beginning.”

* * *

“What the hell is _that_?!” Ichiko shrieked, pointing at a Shadow.

“That, is part of why I’m here.” Joker got out, walking over to it. “Hey, asshole!” It whipped around to face him, then let out a roar, bursting apart into two Mandrakes. “Perfect.” He looked at the sisters. “You want to know why I’m treating you like a liability? Come on out and give me a hand. They’ll try to kill you, by the way; don’t worry, I won’t let them.” He whirled when one lunged for him, leaping up and over its head to land behind it.

Chihiro threw the door open, storming over. “Do you have a weapon for me, or am I supposed to just punch them?” she said acridly.

“Got any weapons training?”

“I can use a baton, and so can my sister.”

He tossed her a length of pipe; one of Ryuji’s old weapons. “Close enough.”

One Mandrake turned towards her, dashing toward her. She wound up and swung like she would a baseball bat, knocking it to the side; but not enough to stop it from hitting her. Unlike the pipe, however, the Mandrake was more than capable of knocking her down, and Ichiko darted out of the bus in alarm. “ _Chihiro!_ ” She caught the second pipe Akira tossed her way, taking a running swing at the Shadow. “ _Get away from my sister!_ ”

It impacted with a dull thud, and the Mandrake howled angrily. Akira, meanwhile, continued to evade the other, keeping it busy while observing.

Chihiro felt like her ribs were on fire. She staggered to her feet, gritting her teeth. “I’ll make you pay for that!” she bit out. She walked closer, taking another swing, and the Mandrake toppled this time, reaching the end of what it could take.

“W-Wait! Don’t kill me!”

Ichiko and Chihiro stared. “It can _talk_!?”

“They’re Shadows; they’re basically fragmented bundles of personality traits spun off from the sea of human existence. They’re not people, not like you or me.”

“Why are you attacking us?”

“I—I just am! I don’t know _why_ , that’s just what seemed right!”

“If that’s your _default_ , I don’t feel bad about killing you.” Chihiro swung the pipe up, bringing it down to crush the Shadow into the tar from whence it came.

Ichiko was horrified. “When did you get so ruthless?!”

“I think it might have cracked a rib,” Chihiro grit out. “He wasn’t kidding about trying to kill us.” She turned to face him. “Have I passed your bullshit test or whatever, now?!”

“This is a baseline, not a test. These are some of the weakest Shadows here.” He dodged out of the way again.

“Are you just showing off?!” Chihiro growled.

“No, I’m making sure you’re done, because I need to be sure you saw this.” He stopped, facing down the Shadow. “Bring it. You get one, make it count.”

The Shadow rushed forwards as Ichiko said, “wait, is he just letting it hit him?!” The blow landed, and Joker barely flinched.

“Holy shit,” Chihiro blurted. He darted forwards, slashing the Shadow into tar before she even knew what was happening. “It took four hits from a steel pipe, how did you do that?!”

“I’m a _lot_ stronger than I look.” He walked back, getting in the bus. “Hop in; we’re going down, to where things are a challenge for me, and _then_ you’ll see what I mean when I say you don’t want to be involved.”

* * *

They arrived, and the sisters shivered. “W-Why are the tracks made of b-bones…?” Chihiro murmured.

“Because this place is horrifying. _Stay in the car_. Mona, do not open the door under any circumstances. If you have to help, fine, but that’s still not technically opening the door.” Joker got out, rolling his neck and limbering up slightly. “Alright. Showtime.” He ran at the closest Shadow, leaping onto its shoulders while its back was turned and yanking off its mask.

It dissolved, re-forming into a pair of Kurama Tengu. “No weaknesses, Joker!” Morgana called out.

“I know,” he called back. He pulled off his mask. “ _Seth! Maragidyne!_ ” A huge black dragon materialized behind him, letting out a roar and swooping down to bathe the two Shadows in a torrent of fire hot enough to be noticeable from inside the Monabus.

The Ohya sisters gawked at the display; their shock was doubled when they realized the Shadows were _still alive_. “…there’s no way, nothing could survive that,” Chihiro murmured. One of the Shadows let out a scream of fury, summoning a whirlwind around Akira that tore pieces of concrete from the ground and scored gouges into the walls and floor. “ _No! AKIRA!_ ”

“Don’t use his real name! It’s Joker here in the Metaverse! And besides, he’s fine, he’s immune to wind right now, that’s why he picked Seth.” Just as Morgana had said, Akira was completely unharmed. The other Shadow lashed out, firing two projectiles in quick succession, both of which slammed into him. “ _That_ probably hurt, though. He’ll be okay. I think.”

“You _think_?!”

“It’s _Joker_ ; he’s called that for a reason. He’s our trump card.”

Akira snarled, more upset than injured, and called Seth again. “You wanna make this a shooting gallery, huh?! Fine! _One-Shot Kill!_ ” The dragon appeared again, spiraling upward before spreading its wings and flapping them sharply towards one of the two Shadows; an enormous projectile _slammed_ into it, tearing it to pieces, and the other flinched, leaving an opening for Seth to repeat the process, dispatching it as well.

Akira replaced his mask as he walked back, then said, “Sarasvati, Mediarama.” A woman with an instrument of some kind materialized, playing a chord. A wave of healing energy washed over them, and Chihiro looked at her torso in shock.

“Did you just… _heal_ me?”

“Yep. Good as new.” He climbed in, shutting the driver’s door and turning to lean on the back of the bench seat. “Do you believe me now when I say it’s not personal? This isn’t about your ability as a journalist. It’s about not getting involved with things that can do _that_. Now; consider this in context. You just watched me fight them by myself, and they could rip apart concrete with wind magic; the person I’m worried about, who killed Okumura? If they find out we’re on to them, they will kill _me_ and my _entire team_. And they can do it _**alone**_.”

Chihiro’s eyes were wide, and a few tears ran down her cheeks. “A-Aki—I mean—Joker, p-please don’t die…!”

“I’m doing my very best, Chihiro. I promise. But that’s why I need you to not get involved. See, people’s Shadows can be found in here; almost everyone has one, it’s _really_ hard to be completely honest with yourself. People who have this power—me and my team, for example—we don’t have Shadows. You two probably _do_. And if you kill a person’s Shadow, they have a mental shutdown. You wouldn’t be able to do a thing. You’d be living your life, and then suddenly, you’d die.” Akira swallowed. “Please, Chihiro. I couldn’t bear knowing I got you killed. I couldn’t bear losing you at _all_.”

She nodded faintly. “O-Okay. I… I believe you, now. I’m sorry for yelling…”

“It’s okay; it made sense based on what you knew.” He sighed, driving to the platform. “But… there’s something else you won’t like.”

“What…?! _More?!_ ”

“We’ll talk more back at your place.”

* * *

“So wait… you… you know who it is, and that they’re going to try and kill you in _real life…_?”

“…yeah. They’ve got us dead to rights, and they work for an organization that would wipe us out in a heartbeat. So… we have a plan, and that plan… is really, really dangerous. We’re going to trick them into killing a double, a cognitive version of me. It’ll look real, but it won’t be, and they’ll think we’ve been dealt with until we’re ready to take them out.”

“You’re… faking your own death,” Ichiko murmured. “You’re insane, what if you mess up?!”

“Then he’ll die.” Morgana said quietly.

“Did your cat just talk?!” Chihiro blurted.

“God _dammit!_ ” Akira slammed a fist on his knee, holding his head in his other hand. “I had him meet us in there _specifically_ so you wouldn’t be able to understand him, son of a _bitch_!”

“Why is that such a big deal?!”

“Because you’ll react completely differently, he’s _always in my bag_ , and we’re _dating_! That’s a dead giveaway you know I’m a Phantom Thief, and if they find out, you’re _dead_! Or worse, kidnapped as collateral!”

Chihiro was silent for a few long moments. “T-Then…” her voice trembled, “then we should break up. Publicly, I mean. If we have a fight… it’ll explain why I’m not talking to you until this all blows over,” she said quietly. “I don’t want to… but do we have any other options…?”

“Won’t it be really suspicious if you get back together right after, though?” Ichiko pointed out.

Chihiro shook her head vehemently. “We can figure something out! We—it can be about him not making enough time for me, or something; you really are a busy guy, so it’s believable, a-and then all we have to do is tell people we worked it out. It makes me look childish, but I don’t _care_ about that!” She took a shaky breath. “All I care about is keeping us alive, and having you back once it’s safe again…” she whispered.

“Alright; we’ll work out the details.” Akira smiled gently. “I’ll pull through; I always do. I’ll come back alive.”

“Come… back?” Chihiro whispered.

Morgana nodded. “…they’re planning on killing him in the basement of the police station. He’s… going to be captured by the police after our next heist. We know who the person behind the mental shutdowns is… because they’re trying to lead us into this trap. We’re just using it against them.”

“How could they do that, though…?”

“…they’re on the team. They think we don’t know. But we figured them out because _they_ could understand Morgana. That’s _why_ we know it’s an issue.” Akira sighed. “This is, frankly, a dumb plan. It’s just our best option, and we’re pretty sure it’ll work, but a lot could go wrong.” He gave Chihiro a cocky grin, though it was a pale shade of the usual. “We just need to get lucky, but hey, I’m a lucky guy. Always have been.”

“Luck…” Chihiro whispered. She stood, murmuring, “I’ll be right back,” before walking down the hall. She returned carrying a bright yellow lanyard, holding it out. “…Here. I… I want you to take this with you.”

Ichiko stared at her. “Chihiro, you… I didn’t realize how serious this had gotten between you two.”

Akira looked between them as he took it. “Did I miss something?”

“That’s… it’s my lucky lanyard. I’ve had it since I was a little girl, I got it the day I realized I wanted to be a journalist, like Ichiko. You said you needed luck… that’s the best I can do.”

Ichiko leaned in, looking at Akira seriously. “I didn’t realize before, but that,” she pointed to the lanyard, “that is a Big Deal. If you break my sister’s heart, they will _never_ find your body.”

“ _Ichiko!_ ” Chihiro stamped a foot petulantly. “Why would you say that!?”

Ichiko sat back. “He deserves to know the significance of what you just gave him. She’s trusting you with her most prized possession, Akira. You _better_ come back alive.”

“I will.” He put the lanyard around his neck, tucking it under his shirt. “I promise. Just so you know, it’ll look like I failed at first; don’t worry. I’ll contact you.”


	3. Chapter 3

_Leader Of The Phantom Thieves Commits Suicide In Custody!_

Chihiro held the paper with trembling hands, stumbling into the apartment. Ichiko looked up in shock, walking over to where her sister was slumped on the couch. “Whoa, Chihiro, what—” she caught sight of the paper. “Oh, _shit_.”

“He said it would look bad at first, he promised, he _promised_ , Ichi, he’s alive, he _has_ to be,” Chihiro whimpered, rocking back and forth slightly, clutching the paper hard enough to turn her knuckles white. “I made it the whole time, I _didn’t_ mess up, I kept up the act that we weren’t together anymore, he _has_ to come back, I _need him!_ ” she cried, emotions coming to a head. “I don’t know what I’ll do if he—if he’s—” she cut off, words crowded out by the lump in her throat.

Ichiko wrapped her arms around her sister, murmuring softly. “We have to trust him and his team… he said it would look bad, they needed their big, bad, enemy to think he’s dead, remember? He’ll contact us soon, just you wait…”

“H-He’s still alive, right…?”

“Of course he is,” Ichiko said, not feeling nearly as sure as she sounded. “He’ll text you soon.”

* * *

Two days. It had been two days since her Akira had been announced dead. No one but her knew it was him in that headline, but she knew. She knew.

Her phone buzzed, and she hated how her heart leapt into her throat. She hoped it was him, but she kept snapping at people for the mere crime of not being Akira. She looked at her phone, and her eyes widened.

Akira: being assassinated: 0/10, would not recommend

Chihiro: DON’T EVER WORRY ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!

Akira: I really, really hope I never have to. We’ve got one last job, and it doesn’t involve me faking my death, but this guy… he’s the one pulling the strings. Believe it or not… he’s also the guy I got framed by, all those months ago.

Chihiro: …I’m almost afraid to ask, but who…?

Akira: Masayoshi Shido. The man running for Prime Minister. He doesn’t fuck around; my guardian used to work in the government, apparently he’s always been ruthless.

Chihiro: If you die I’m breaking up with you.

Akira: Shit, guess I don’t have a choice, then. Victory is assured.

Chihiro: You little shit.

She wiped the tears off the screen, finally feeling the tension drain out of her.

Chihiro: When can I see you?

Akira: I have to keep a low profile, but if I’m careful, I might be able to stop by.

Chihiro: Can I just keep you here

Chihiro: You’re not going to school while pretending to be dead, can I just keep you at my apartment and come home and hold you after school

Akira: I… guess nothing says I can’t do that? Your dad would kill me if he came home and found me here, though.

Chihiro: He’s in America for the next month.

Chihiro: Sorry, I know it’s dumb, I just… it tore me apart, having to pretend we weren’t together anymore.

Akira: I mean… if Ichiko doesn’t care, and you know he won’t be showing up, then… yeah, I can do that. Sojiro—my guardian—says he doesn’t care, though he’s teasing me about it via vaguely suggestive remarks

Chihiro: Wait, are you really…?

Akira: Oh, uh… sorry, I guess I got carried away, I didn’t realize you were joking…

Chihiro: No!

Chihiro: Let me ask my sister, brb

Chihiro scurried into the living room, beaming through her tears. “He’s alive!” She threw her arms around Ichiko. “He’s alive, sis…!”

Ichiko smiled. “That’s great.” The smile turned to a smirk. “So how long until I catch you sneaking out to see him?”

“Um… I may have asked as a wishful-thinking sort of joke if he could just stay here since he’s not going to school, what with pretending to be dead, and he actually asked and got permission…?” Chihiro admitted sheepishly, smiling up at Ichiko.

“His guardian is okay with that?!”

“His guardian knows he’s Joker, so… I think he just treats Akira as an adult at this point.”

“I mean… I better not come home to any—”

“Oh my god, _sis…!_ ”

“And you better use protection, I’m just saying—”

“ _ **Sis!**_ I just want him to hold me, okay?!” Chihiro blurted, then quieted. “I miss him… I miss him so much it _hurts_. I just need to know he’s alive, and that he still… wants me.”

“I know, Chihiro; but if he’s laying low, he might be here a while, and ‘just holding you’ is gonna turn into a lot more than that, one way or another. I’m not saying you’re gonna jump his bones the second he gets here, but you gave that boy your _lanyard_ ; I’m willing to bet your virginity is not out of the question.”

“No, I swear, it’s not like that—”

Ichiko cut her off with a laugh. “Oh, you think I’m saying no. Sorry; I’m saying this with the assumption it is _going_ to happen _because_ he’ll be here, not that it would be guaranteed to happen _if_ he stayed here.”

“R-Really…? He can stay…?!” Chihiro began to beam. “Thank you! Thank you so much…!”

“I was serious, though, he can stay _if_ you promise you’ll use protection.”

“I—sis…!” Chihiro hid her face, then mumbled, “it’s not like I could _not_ anyway, I’m on the pill because my hormones were all out of whack, remember…?”

Ichiko blinked. “Ohhhh, yeah, I totally forgot; I don’t exactly watch you take your medicine in the morning. Okay, works for me. Please don’t jump him while I’m home.”

“ _Ichikoooo!_ ”

* * *

There was a knock, and Chihiro rocketed to the door, looking through the peephole. She confirmed it was Akira, then yanked the door open, pulling him inside and closing it behind him.

He blinked down at her, back pinned to the door with her nuzzled into his chest. “…I missed you too,” he murmured, slowly petting her hair.

There was a click of a camera, and he looked up to see Ichiko standing there with a grin. “That was precious. The look on your face was fantastic.”

“Sis, did you just take our picture?!” Chihiro whirled, pouting.

Akira had something very different to say. “Can I get a copy of that once it’s developed?”

Ichiko laughed as Chihiro flushed bright red. “Sure thing. Have fun, I gotta get to work. Don’t touch the beer, obviously, but otherwise help yourself to what you find.”

Akira smiled. “Thanks. And thanks for letting me stay here, I promise I won’t do anything—”

“I’m gonna tell you the same thing I told her; don’t jump each other while I’m home.”

He nearly choked. “That heavily implies it’s fair game if you aren’t,” he wheezed.

“Stunning deduction, Watson, I can really see what my sister sees in you,” Ichiko deadpanned. “I’m not _stupid_ , if you two are in a place in your relationship to do that you’re gonna do it whether I say you can or not. You’re teenagers; trying to forbid it only causes unnecessary tension. I know that’s a logical fallacy, but logic also assumes all parties aren’t lying, so.” She shrugged. “Anyway, I’ll see you guys later; I’ll text you when I’m headed home, as a matter of standard practice. What you do with that information is up to you.” She passed a crimson Chihiro and a flabbergasted Akira, exiting the apartment with a final wave. “Later!”

Akira stared at the door a moment. Chihiro finally recovered, saying “I’m so sorry, she’s just like that, please don’t think anything of it…!”

He laughed. “Chihiro, I’ve been interacting with your sister for a while, remember? Plus you both have the same brand of ‘yeah, what about it?’ If I was gonna be bothered by how blunt you guys are, I wouldn’t be here.”

“I just, don’t want you to think I’m secretly waiting for you to let your guard down so I can jump you or something,” she mumbled.

“Chihiro, when the Okumura news broke you texted me ‘you better not break my heart you son of a bitch’, and after you argued with Makoto you basically told her to get out so you could mack on me. I am genuinely confused as to when I somehow implied being brash and impulsive would make me think less of you. I _like_ that about you. You damn near got your ribs broken by a Shadow in Mementos and your response was to _hit it again, but angrier this time_.”

She let out a squeak. “Y-You _want_ me to be plotting to jump you…?!”

Akira blinked. “That’s not quite what I meant, I meant more that if you were it wouldn’t be like, off-putting or whatever; but like, now that you’ve actually gotten me to _think_ about it, I can’t say I _don’t_ like the idea,” he said, shrugging easily. “I’m here to be with you; I don’t really _have_ an agenda other than ‘show Chihiro I care dearly about her.’”

She wrapped her arms around him. “Can we…” she trailed off, then shook her head. “Let me start over. I want to watch a movie while you hold me.”

He smiled warmly. “And I’d love to oblige you.”

* * *

There was a knock, and Akira tilted his head. “Were you expecting someone?”

Chihiro popped up, walking to the door. “It might be Genki,” she checked through the peephole. “Yep.” She opened the door, letting him in.

“So, where’s the living legend?” Genki grinned, walking over to Akira. “Good to see you, man.”

“You too, Genki.”

“It’s not the same without that cat staring at me all the time.”

“I’m _right here_ ,” Morgana complained.

“Oh, quit whining, Morgana, he’s saying he misses you.” Chihiro plopped down in Akira’s arms again, not noticing the shocked look on Genki’s face.

“Since when can you talk to the cat?!”

“Uh…” Chihiro ducked her head sheepishly. “Sorry, Akira.”

“It’s alright, I trust Genki.” Akira looked at him. “I had to prove beyond journalistic doubt I didn’t murder Okumura, and that process involved showing her how the Phantom Thieves actually operate to stress the gravity of the situation. A side effect of that is once you’ve been shown that, you can understand Morgana, because he can talk there.”

“Like an alternate dimension?”

“Pretty much.”

“Can I go?”

“I would rather you didn’t, because that would involve getting up, and Chihiro is soft, and warm, and I don’t want to move. Also it’s dangerous as hell.”

Genki raised his brows, bemused. “Is it really that dangerous?”

“I almost got my ribs broken by one of the monsters there, and it was one of the weakest ones. Akira killed it like it was nothing, then fought a strong one for comparison that survived having a dragon breathe fire on it. Yes, it is _absolutely_ that dangerous.”

Morgana popped his head out. “I can go in without the Nav; I could just take him to the station. The Shadows don’t go up that high, and you wouldn’t have to get up. Or you could nail her.” He shrugged. “Just saying.”

Chihiro spluttered, and Akira laughed. “Classy. If you want to, I trust you to keep him alive.”

Morgana hopped out of the bag. “In that case, we’ll be off.”

“Morgana’s gonna take you there; he can bring you in, and it’s not dangerous at the very top.”

“‘Top’?”

“You’ll see.”

They left, and Chihiro covered her face. “Oh my god, I know Genki couldn’t understand him, but I can’t believe he said that!”

“He’s good at pushing people’s buttons.”

* * *

“So like… you’re a cat, but not, and you can turn into a bus.”

“Pretty much.”

“What… the fuck?” Genki asked, bewildered.

Morgana just shrugged and made a noncommittal noise. “Beats me.”

“So I’ll be able to hear you now?”

“You should be able to; that’s how we think it works, anyway.” They exited the Metaverse, and Morgana shook out his fur. “Well? Did it work?”

“My god, you’re a talking cat.”

“Wrong, but I’ll let it slide.”

* * *

Genki: Hey I’m not about to walk in on you two screwing am I

Chihiro: NO

Akira: Thanks for asking though.

Genki: Cool.

He opened the door, and Morgana darted inside before he closed the door behind him. “Well, I can hear your cat now.”

“Not a cat!” Morgana protested.

“When you stop looking like a cat, I’ll stop calling you a cat; until then, it would be _highly_ suspicious if I did anything else, since to everyone else you _are_ a cat, they can’t understand you.”

Morgana grumbled to himself, but relented. “Fine, you have a point…”

“So, you’ve got one last job, right…?”

Akira nodded. “Yeah.”

“You’re going to come back to me, right?”

“Chihiro…”

“ _Right?_ ”

“I’ll do my very best, Chihiro.”

“Promise me, Akira,” she held his face in her hands, “I can’t take another incident like this, I can’t lose you, _promise_ me you’ll come back,” she begged.

“I… Chihiro, you know I can’t guarantee anything—”

“ _ **Please!**_ ” Her cry echoed in the following silence. “ _Please,_ ” she whispered.

“…I promise.”

* * *

“You… you’re kidding, right…?” Chihiro stared in horror at the Thieves assembled at her door. “I—I just saw him last night, he—he’s in _jail_?” Her voice was steadily rising, quickly approaching hysteria. “What do you _mean_ he turned himself in, there has to be a _mistake_ , he would have _**told me!**_ ”

“He didn’t tell us, either,” Makoto said sadly.

“ _ **Why!?**_ ” Chihiro’s distress rapidly shifted to anger. “I told him never to worry me again, and what did he do!?” She let out a scream of frustration, then pinned the Thieves with a glare that saw them all step back slightly. “Well?! What’s the plan to get him out!?” The notepad came out. “What are the charges? How long is the current sentence? Who are the key witnesses? Where is he being held? Is he allowed visitors?”

“Jesus, slow down!” Ryuji blurted.

Morgana shook his head. “She’s just like this.”

Futaba pushed up her glasses. “He’s being charged with violation of parole, technically; the sentence length is kinda weird; the key witness is that lady from way back; he’s in solitary; no visitors outside of legal counsel.”

“ _Solitary?!_ He’s a _minor!_ ” Chihiro was aghast.

“He was charged as an adult.” Makoto shook her head. “I don’t like it either, but…”

“Well don’t just stand there, come in! We’ve got work to do! I’ll call my sister, she can track down the witness.”

* * *

Akira stepped out of the jail, taking a deep breath. “Free at last.”

“Hey, kid. Get in.”

The two drove down the road in silence for a moment, until Sojiro turned unexpectedly. “Huh? Where are we going?”

“The flower shop, because you’ve got a lady waiting for you, and she is _pissed_.”

Akira winced. “Thanks, Sojiro.”

“Don’t get me wrong; you’re not getting out of the doghouse for at least a month, but this should at least spare you a bit of the ear-bending you’re about to get.”

* * *

Akira took a deep breath, bouquet in hand; her favorites, in the largest size they sold. It was only a small thing in comparison to what he put her through, but he wanted to be sure she knew he was serious about making it up to her.

He opened the door, and was met with silence. The café was empty, save for one person: Chihiro. She stared at him, gaze piercing his very soul, the anger radiating off her in waves strong enough to sweep away even a seasoned mariner. She walked closer, taking the flowers out of his hands and gently setting them on the counter, then looked back, standing less than a foot away. There was a moment more of silence, and then she spoke.

“You _promised_.” She held his gaze, lip quivering. “You _promised_ me you’d come back. And _don’t_ say you came back in-between.”

“I… know. I’m sorry. But what else could I have done…? If I hadn’t testified, Shido would have just… walked. None of his victims would have seen any justice. I hurt you, and I broke my promise, and for that I’m so, so sorry. But…” He steeled himself. “I don’t regret it. It was the right thing to do. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I let all those people down just to save my own skin.”

“ _Dammit_ , Akira, why do you have to be so noble while I’m trying to be mad at you?” She let out a single laugh, tears in her eyes. “Why did I have to go and fall in love with a hero? Why couldn’t it have been someone who would be selfish and pick me? But no, it couldn’t have been, because you being a hero is exactly what made me fall for you… your charming, devil-may-care attitude may have won you that first date… but your sense of honor is what won you my heart.”

She closed the distance, resting her forehead on his chest and halfheartedly thumping it with a fist, tears pouring down her cheeks. “You… you goddamn, self-sacrificing, pure-hearted asshole…” She sniffed loudly, silent for a long moment. “…thanks for the flowers. I’m still mad at you.”

He put his arms around her. “I expected that. The flowers are just a gesture… I know it won’t fix everything I put you through. But I _will_ make it up to you, Chihiro. Because I fell in love with you too, and I’ll be damned if I ever let you doubt that.”

“Good,” she said petulantly. “You can start by introducing me to your parents.”

“You’ve _met_ my dad, he owns this café. My biological parents ditched me in Tokyo, they can stuff it.”

“Fine, introduce me so I can tell them they’re jerks and that I’m keeping you.”

Akira laughed quietly. “Alright. If that would make you happy, I can do that.”

“Maybe I should thank them, though, if they hadn’t I never would have met you… Kamoshida would still be at large, _Shido would be Prime Minister_.” She shuddered. “But still… they couldn’t know that would happen, so they’re still assholes; and I’m keeping you either way.”

“You’re keeping me, huh?” he teased. “Ichiko know about that?”

Chihiro nodded into his chest. “Yeah. She’s happy for us. Dad wants to meet you.”

Akira’s eyes widened. “Your dad knows about us?”

“Yeah, dumbass, I only tore through half of Japan with my sister and your crew to get you out of jail,” she said, shaking her head fondly. “It’d be hard for him to _not_ know about us.”

“I… guess I didn’t realize you’d talked about me.”

“Akira, some days it feels like I never _stop_ talking about you. I know Ichiko has said ‘yes, we get it, you’re madly in love,’ on numerous occasions. Actually, I think her saying that in front of dad is how that got brought up.”

“What did he say?”

“He said he wanted to meet the boy that could pull me away from my passion long enough to get a date.”

Akira laughed. “That’s my secret; I didn’t.”

“That’s exactly what I said, too. That’s when he got a really solemn look on his face and said ‘Oh, so this is _that_ kind of serious.’”

“…and what did you say?”

“Hm? I said yes, what else would I have said?”

“I… guess I’m not surprised, that’s not out of character for you, but… I think I didn’t realize you were the ‘telling your dad you’ve found someone’ kind of serious,” he murmured, gently stroking her hair.

“Well… I have found someone.” She held him a little tighter. “I’m not letting go, either. You’re mine now, I’m keeping you. I won’t let something petty like going to jail take you from me; but you _better_ not make me prove it again.”

“I really hope I don’t… I can promise it won’t be intentional.”

“God, I’m starting to think I should just keep you at home where you can’t get into trouble,” she grumbled. “I’ll go do my journalism thing, you just have dinner and a hug ready when I come home…”

Akira’s heart was pounding in his chest. “Y-Yeah…? You sure you want me in charge of dinner? I hope you like curry,” he teased.

“I do like curry, as a matter of fact. Any more dumb objections?”

His cheeks hurt from smiling. “No; none.”

* * *

“So; you must be Kurusu-san.” Chihiro’s dad smiled, a twinkle in his eye. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Hopefully good things,” Akira laughed.

“Mostly, though there were a few upset grumblings about you being too noble for your own good.”

“I can live with that.” Akira shrugged. “To hear her tell it, if I wasn’t like that she wouldn’t have fallen for me, and that would be a tragedy to say the _least_.”

Ohya laughed. “Oh, I _like_ you!”

“I’m glad, Ohya-san.” Akira’s smile was slight, but warm. “It would be awkward if you didn’t, since you’ll be seeing a lot of me, if I have anything to say about it.”

“You intend to marry my Chihiro, then?”

“I… don’t think I’d really put words to it directly like that, but… yeah. I think it’s accurate to say that.”

“You make her happy; what more could a father want for his daughter?” Ohya smiled, clapping Akira on the shoulder. “You have my blessing.”

Akira’s smile grew wider and wider. “Thank you, sir. I’m very happy to hear that.”

* * *

“Excuse me, are you the owner of this establishment?”

The man turned. “Hm? Who are you?”

“Chihiro Sakura; I’m an investigative journalist. Could I have a moment of your time?”


End file.
